What to expect?

It can be helpful and reassuring to know the process when starting something new. So if you’re considering one-to-one Yoga Therapy for your child or young person, here is a rough outline of how I work.

·       Once you have made initial contact with me, we’ll arrange a conversation on the telephone so that you can tell me about your child and why you’re considering Yoga Therapy for them. I’ll ask a number of questions so that I can get a full picture of their development – if possible, right from their time in the womb to the present day. Right from this moment we’ll be discussing your child’s unique needs. You’ll also have the opportunity to ask me any questions you have. There is no charge for this conversation.

·       I’ll then send you my Family Information and Terms & Conditions Form for you to fill in and return to me, so that we both have all the details we need about each other.

·       We’ll then schedule in a time for me to meet your child for an assessment session. As their parent or carer, you are very welcome to attend this with your child – and indeed it may feel appropriate for you to always remain at the sessions with your child, if that’s what we all feel is right. Some children and teenagers may prefer to come alone right from the assessment session. This is something we can all decide about together. This assessment session will last approximately 50 minutes and will be charged for at the same price as a Therapy session.

·       From here we will agree a minimum number of sessions to begin with. This is usually eight but could be more or less, depending on the child and the circumstances. These take place on the same day, at the same time and in the same space each week. Sessions are approximately 50 minutes.

·       During the course of our therapy, I am available to talk to you about how it’s going and potentially discuss the types of practices I have shared, bearing in mind your child’s rights for confidentiality. (For therapy to be effective, a child must be able to disclose their thoughts, feelings, experiences, and behaviours without fear of judgment or without the worry this will be passed on outside of the therapeutic space. This is fundamental to building a strong therapeutic relationship. Of course, if I have any concerns about the child’s safety or the safety of others, then this must be reported and I follow safeguarding procedures to do this in the best possible way.) Any phone consultations that last over 30 minutes will be charged at a rate of £20 per half hour.

·       It may be that I prescribe some practices for the child to do at home. Yoga Therapy is about empowerment: teaching children the skills to help in their own lives. The more we do these practices, the more the nervous system is regulated. All practices are non-invasive, trauma-sensitive and can run alongside other treatments and therapies.

·       Around three weeks before the end of the agreed number of sessions we will speak again on the phone to review how it is going and decide whether more sessions will be helpful. If we decide that no more one-to-one sessions are needed at this point I may signpost you on to other services that I think might be helpful, or there may be a group session that I have running that the child would like to join. If we decide to continue the sessions we’ll set a new number of sessions before which we will review again.

·       My intention for the last session with the child is always to end well, reviewing with them the progress they have made, the things we have learned and enjoyed working on together, and recapping on the practices that they may find useful to take away with them into their future.

·       When the work is over, I greatly appreciate you returning a feedback form to me, so that I can continually improve my services.